DeVos Named Education Secretary, State Senators Speak Out

It is the first time in history the Vice President has had to be the tie-breaker for the Senate when it comes to confirming a Cabinet nominee

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Senate has confirmed school choice activist Betsy DeVos as Education secretary, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie.

It is not the first time the Vice President has been called on to break a tie in the Senate, but it is the first time in history the VP has had to do it for a Cabinet nominee to be confirmed.

Two Republicans joined Democrats to vote to derail DeVos’ nomination.

Senator Al Franken, a Democrat, called DeVos “the most incompetent cabinet-level nominee I have ever seen.”

Senator Heidi Heitkamp, also a Democrat, said DeVos could not deliver responses to basic education policy questions, or commit to supporting the future of public education.

Republican Senator John Hoeven voted for Devos, saying her mother was a public school teacher, and DeVos herself volunteered to work with children in the Grand Rapids Public School System.

“Betsy Devos testified that she supports public education and she told me that she will support state and local control so that North Dakotans, not Washington, will decide how to educate our students,” said Sen. John Hoeven on the confirmation.

President Trump tweeted earlier that “Betsy DeVos is a reformer, and she is going to be a great Education Secretary for our kids!”